This invention relates to heating and air conditioning units. More particularly, this invention relates to dampers that may be used in conjunction with outdoor heating and air conditioning systems to prevent debris from entering into the outdoor housing containing the heating or air conditioning system.
Presently, conventional heating and air conditioning systems are in widespread use throughout the world. Typically, air conditioning systems comprise an outdoor housing containing a compressor and a condenser. An air handling unit, comprising a fan protected by suitable grillwork, functions to draw outside air across the condenser into the housing to exit the housing from the upper surface thereof. The protective grillwork prevents large objects from inadvertently falling into the housing via the protective grillwork.
Unfortunately, the protective grillwork is typically comprised of a metal grill with spacings that are spaced apart to such a degree that debris, such as leaves, pine needles. acorns, pollen, etc. may pass through the grillwork and fall into the air conditioning housing. The air conditioning housing is particularly susceptible to contamination by such debris when the system is not operating. Specifically, when the system is not operating to produce the upward flow of air from inside the housing, even lightweight debris may easily pass through the grillwork and fall into the housing. Therefore, there presently exists a need for covering the grillwork to prevent debris from falling into the housing when the air conditioning system is not operating. Louvered shutters. mechanical dampers and similar devices have not proven to be commercially viable due to their tendency to adversely restrict the upward airflow during operation of the air conditioner.
Known prior art involving dampers include the following: U.S. Pat. No. 3,401,624; U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,150; U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,207: U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,568; U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,422: U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,120; U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,749 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,031,717, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Of particular relevance to the subject invention is U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,150 entitled xe2x80x9cSelf-Closing Flexible Damperxe2x80x9d. In this type of damper, a flexible member is affixed at its center to a cross-support positioned above the fan blades of a circulating exhaust fan.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,401,624 entitled xe2x80x9cAir Exhauster With Damper Meansxe2x80x9d discloses an exhaust fan having a flexible damper with a center hole that rides up a guide shaft due to the air pressure created by the air flow, yet returns to a lowered sealed position when the air flow created by the circulating fan ceases operation.
Due to their complexity, the above-referenced prior art dampers are not readily adaptable to housings of conventional air conditioning systems. Therefore, a need still exists for a simplified damper that may be positioned over the grillwork of an outdoor housing of an air conditioning system.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvement which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art devices and provides an improvement which is a significant contribution to the advancement of the air conditioning damper art.
Another object of this invention is to provide an outdoor housing of an air conditioning system with a damper that automatically closes about the grillwork of the circulating fan when the circulating fan ceases operation, thereby preventing debris such as leaves, pine needles, acorns, pollen, etc. from falling through the grillwork and contaminating the inside of the housing.
Another object of this invention is to provide a damper for covering the grillwork of an outdoor housing of an air conditioning system that is simple, economical to manufacture and easy to install without any special expertise or tools.
Another object of this invention is to provide an automatic damper to cover the upper grillwork of an outdoor housing of an air conditioning system that is not permanently affixed to the housing thereby allowing it to be easily installed and removed as desired.
The foregoing has outlined some of the pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
For the purpose of summarizing this invention. this invention comprises a damper for outdoor air conditioning housings. More particularly, the damper of the invention comprises a sheet of flexible material, such as fiberglass screening, which is configured and dimensioned to cover the upper grillwork of an outdoor air conditioning housing containing an air conditioning compressor and condenser. In one embodiment, the damper is removably affixed to the grillwork by means of a magnet that is positioned in the center of the damper to magnetically couple the damper to the center of the grillwork. During operation of the blower assembly contained within the housing, the blower assembly draws air across the condenser coils of the air conditioner around the sides of the housing whereupon the air flow is then directed upwardly to pass through the grill work. The air flow passing through the grillwork creates pressure on the underside of the damper causing its periphery to move upwardly thereby allowing the air flow to escape upwardly. In this regard, it is noted that the magnet securely retains the center of the damper to the center of the grillwork to prevent the damper from being blown entirely off of the grillwork or otherwise becoming decentered relative to the grillwork. As the blower assembly ceases operation, the air flow created thereby likewise ceases and the peripheral edges of the damper gently fall downwardly by gravity to cover the grillwork.
In another embodiment of the damper assembly of the invention, an upstanding rod is fitted to the magnet and a suitable coupling and the magnet is magnetically coupled to the center of the grillwork of the outdoor housing. A flexible damper, likewise containing a configuration and size sufficient to cover the grillwork, is provided with a center hole. During assembly, the center hole of the damper is aligned with the upstanding rod and is allowed to slide down the upstanding rod to cover the grillwork. A stop is then fitted to the upstanding end of the upstanding rod. During operation of the blower assembly, air flow through the condenser coils is forced upwardly whereupon the flexible damper gently rises by sliding upwardly along the length of the upstanding rod. The peripheral edges of the flexible member likewise flutter upwardly as in the case of the first embodiment. When the blower assembly ceases operation and the ail flow stops, the flexible member gently drifts downwardly along the length of the upstanding rod to cover the grillwork. Debris and other contaminants are therefore prevented from falling into the housing through the grillwork. It should be appreciated that in connection with each embodiment of the invention, the flexible damper always remains centered relative to the grillwork and gently returns to cover the grillwork as soon as the air flow ceases when the blower assembly is turned off. It should also be appreciated that the flexible nature of the damper, including the capability for its peripheral edges to flutter upwardly, significantly precludes any adverse restriction of the upward airflow during operation. Indeed, restriction of such air flow is virtually eliminated altogether in the case of the second embodiment of the invention wherein the flexible damper is allowed to drift upwardly a considerable distance (e.g., two feet) above the grillwork during operation of the air handler.
Finally, it should be appreciated that both embodiments are merely magnetically coupled to the grillwork of the air conditioning housings. Thus, they may be easily installed and easily removed without tools.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood so that the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.